Vending-machine



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-811612152. F. H. RI ARDS.

. VENDING HINE.

No. 455,496. Patented Ju 1891,

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Patented July 7, 1891.

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A UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

TO JOHN G. RICH, OF AUBURN, NEIV YORK.

VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,496, dated July '7,1891 Application filed April 2. 1891. Serial No. 337,380. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

,Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hartford, in the countyot' Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVending-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic vending-machines, in which articlesof merchandise are exchanged for coins.

The object and nature of the invention are set forth in the followingdescription.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the casing of the machine in line aa of Fig. 2, showing the operative parts of the machine in plan viewbelow said line. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the machine, the viewbeing taken in line 0 c of Fig. 1 and showing the parts at the left handof said line. Figs. 3 and 4: are views similar to a part of Fig. 1,illustrative of the operation of the machine. Figs. 5 and 6 arerespectively the front and side views of the goods-carrier and theadjustable floor therefor, and Figs. 7 and S are two similar viewsshowing said parts in different relative positions. Figs. 9 and 10 areviews similar to a portion of Fig. 2, illustrating the operation of thelock mechanism. Figs. 11, 12, and 13 are respectively an end view, aplan, and a side view of the coin-carrier of the lock mechanism.

Similar characters all the figures.

The casing or cabinet, which contains the operative parts of my improvedvending-machine, consists or may consist of the base B, the front wallC, the side walls D and E, the back wall F, the top G, the cover H, thefloor J, carrying the operative parts, and the par- 1 a similar panel 73for a like purpose. The

tition K, supporting said floor. The front wall usually has the glasspanel 72, through which to see the goods, while the cover II has panel72. constitutes the front wall of the delivery-hopper S.

In the back wall F of the cabinet are two doors, the upper door V beinghinged at 23 r and giving access to the upper portions of the designatelike parts in case. The lower door IV, hinged at 24, gives access to thelower space X, wherein the coinbox is to be placed. In practice ofcourse each of the doors V, IV, and II should be provided with suitablelocks for securing the cabinet from unauthorized entrance.

The machine shown in the drawings is constructed and arranged forvending cigars, these being indicated in Fig. 2 by the several dottedcircles e e. The machine consists of the cabinet, a delivery-hopper fromwhich the cigarsare delivered to the goods-carrier, a reciprocatablegoods-carrier, an adjustable floor for regulating the capacity of thegoods-carrier, and goods-carrier-actuating mechanism operating throughthe medium of a coin to move forward said carrier and deliver the cigarsto a receptacle, from which they may be taken by the customer.

The delivery-hopper (designated in a general way by S) may be a metalcasting, or it may be formed of sheet metal or-other suitable material,as wood or earthenware. It consists of the back wall 65, the front wall'72, the end walls (36 and 67, having the feet- 68 and 69 formedthereon, respectively, whereby to secure the hopper in place by the aidof screws 70 to some part of the casing.

For supporting the cigar-box N hown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) aninclined shelf P is provided, pivoted at 60 to the side walls D and E ofthe casing and otherwise supported, as by pins 61, made to fit the holes62, formed in the said side walls. There being a series of said holes,the inclination of the shelf P may be regulated by shifting the pin 61to another one of said pin-holes. This feature, however, is not of myinvention.

The goods-carrier, which is designated in a general way by A, and ispreferably cast integral, consists of the plate or slide 2, having theprojecting edges 4 and U, forming guides forsupporting the goods-carrierin its ways, the depending sides 3 and 5, forming the closed ends of theciga r-receiver, and the front and back plates Sand 10, respectively, ofsaid receiver. Said plates 8 and 10 are notched,

as is best shown in Figs. 5 and 7, thus forming the corresponding seriesof depending fingers 7 and 9. The floor of the receiver consists of abox-shaped casting, whose top 11 and front wall 12 are notched, as at15, to receive the" aforesaid fingers 7 and 9, the bottom plate 13, andthe back wall 1.4. The projecting edges 16 and 18 of the said wall 14form guides,whichfitin corresponding grooves formed. in the casing andprevent lateral movement of said bottom piece, but allow of freevertical movement of said piece. A threaded rod or elevating-screw 17 iscarried, fixed in the casing, and is provided with a nut 19, having areduced part 20, Fig. which engages the notched ear or projection 21,that is formed on said back wall 14. By means of this device the floorof the receiver may be raised or lowered to vary the capacity of saidreceiver. In Figs. 2, 5, and G the receiver-floor is shown lowered topermit three cigars 4 to enter the receiver, while in Figs. 7 and 8 saidfloor is raised to reduce the capacity of the receiver to one cigar.

A suitable receptacle, as R, is fixed to the front wall 0 of the casingto receive the cigars discharged from the goods-carrier. A series offingers or guard-plates 22 rise from the back of said receptacle andstand immediately below the path of said fingers 7 and 9 and in thenotches or spaces 15 in the front wall 12 of the receiver-bottom forpreventing access to the goods-carrier through said slots 15, and thusprevent tampering with cigars lying in the receiver. The usualguard-plate 52 is provided to prevent access to the front of thegoods-carrier.

.As a means for sliding the goods-carrier this is suitably connected,asby the screw 26, to a rod 25, which extends rearwardly and is fittedto slide freely in a bearing 27, that is fixed in the floor J of thecasing, a pin 28 being provided, fixed in the rearward end of sgid rodto limit the forward movement there- 0 end thereof pivotally attached at31 to the rod 25. The opposite end of said lever is fitted to movefreely in a guide-bearing 32, which is fixed by screws or otherwise tothe floor J. The lever has pivotally attached thereto at a pull-rod 34,whereby said lever may be operated by hand. The rod 34 has somesuitably-shaped handle, as 35, by means of which the operator may drawthe rod and lever forward, a spring 36, carried on the rod 34 betweenthe front wall 0 of the casing and a stop-collar 37 on said rod, beingprovided for the purpose of retracting the rod and lever when the handleis released by the operator. A carrier-retracting spring 75 is connectedat one end to the goods-carrier by a pin 77 and is connected at theother end thereof to the pin 7 6, which is fixed in the floor J. Thisspring serves to retract the carrier'on the release of the pull-rod 34.A rockshaft 40 is journaled in a bearing 41 near the left-hand endthereof and near its right-hand end in the lower part of the aforesaidguidebearing 32 for the lever 30.. On said shaft 40 the coin-carrier orlook T is rigidly fixed by its hub 44. This lock has two arms 46 and Theslide-actuating lever 30 is at one- 50, of which the former constitutesthe coincarrier proper. Said arm 46 has a slot or opening 47 formedtherein, through which a coin smaller than the one which should be usedmay freely pass. Immediately forward of said slot a coin-retaining rim48 is formed to engage the lower edge of the coin L, while the upperedge of said coin stands within and engages the lower end of thecoin-chute M, as shown in Fig. 9. The rearwardly-extending arm 50constitutes a detent-catch or retaining-arm for engaging at the propertime the catch 51, which is formed on the under side of the right-handend of the lever 30 for looking or retaining the said lever in itsposition. (Shown in Fig. 4.) Another rocker-arm 54 is secured to theshaft 40 adjacent to the hearing 41 by means of a set-screw 55 orotherwise. A pin 56 on red 25 engages and bears down said arm 54, andthereby turns forward the shaft 40 on the extreme forward move.-

ment of the rod 25. A spring 57, Fig. 2, (fixed to the floor J by ascrew 58,) bears on the un derside of the arm 46, and thus acts to resetj the rock-shaft 40 in its position shown in Figs.

2 and 9 on the backward or return. movement of the lever 30.

The coin L, Fig. 0, constitutes the fulcrum against which the lever 30reacts to actuate the goods-carrier, and when there is no coin presentin the lock the pivot 31 is the-fulcrum of saidlever, whose broadenedright-hand end (see Figs. 3 and 4) moves forward underneath thecoin'chute, thereby preventing any coin from entering the lock exceptwhen the lever is retracted, as shown in Fig. l.

The .means actuating the look from the goods-carrier or from some part(as the rod 25) connected thereto, consists of the pin 56, acting uponthe cam-shaped arm 54; butthis arrangement may be reversed, the pinbeing placed upon said arm, while the cam-face may be on the rod 25,after a well-known manner.

The general operation of the machine is-as follows: The delivery-hopperS being suitably supplied with goods and the adjustable floor beingproperly set to secure the required capacity of the goods-receiver, thecustomer drops the required coin at 42, Fig. 2, into the coin-chute M,which delivers the coin' to-the lock T, where it stands engaging thelower end of the chute and the edge or lip 48 of the lock, beingsupported on the look at the ends of the slot 47, as indicated in Fig.9. Next the pull-rod 34 is drawn forward, bringing the free end, whichis at the right hand in Figs. 3 and 4, against the back side of thecoin, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 9. At this time the coin serves as thefulcrum of the lever, so that on the continued drawing forward of therod. 34 the left-hand end of. the lever is drawn forward, and throughits connection with the goods-carrier slides said carrier forward fromthe position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4,and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the goods drop out of'thegoods-receiver into the receptacle R. 'W'hen the goods-carrier startsforward a little distance; the pin 56, engaging the arm 5% of the rockert0, actuates the movable lock T to release the coin, at the same timethrowing the arm 50 of said look into engagement with the hook 51 of thefree end of the lever, as will be understood by comparison of Figs. 9and 10. On the shifting of .the lock from its position in Fig. 9, whereit is shown holding the coin in place, to its position in Fig. 10 thelever moves forward a short distance, sufficient to throw the coin L outof the look. This will be understood from the dotted lines in Fig. 10,showing the coin leaving the lock. After the release of the coin thelock-arm 5O constitutes thefulcrum of the lever during the remainder ofthe forward stroke of the goods-carrier.

The goods havingbeen delivered,the customer releases the rod 34, whichis retracted to its original position in Fig. 4 by means of the spring36, that also operates to return the goods-carrier to its originalposition shown in Figs. 1 and 3. On drawing forward the rod 3% whenthere is no coin in the lock to serve as a fulcrum for the lever, therighthand or free end of the lever is drawn forward, as in Fig. 3,between the lower end of the coin-chute and the lock, the goods-carrierbeing in the meantime lightly held retracted by the spring75. In thiscase, on releasing,

.as before, the rod 34:, the spring 36 returns said rod and the lever 30to theirpositions shown in at, ready for another operation. Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim- 1. In a vending-machine, with thereciprocatable goods-carrier, of the carrier-actuating lever movable atboth ends a lock located at the free end of the leverand holding a coinforward of the lever when this is retracted, the coin when in-the lockbeing the actuating-lever fulcrum, and said lever passing free of thelock in the absence of a coin, substantially as described.

2. In a vending-machine, the combination, with thereciprocatablegoods-carrier, of the carrier-actuating lever connected atone end to said goods-carrier and normally free at the other end, alock, substantially as described, located at the free end of said leverand holdand connected at one end to said carrier, and

ing a coin forward. of the lever when this is retracted, a rockercarrying said lock, and means, substantially as described, actuating therocker to release the coin from the lock on the forward stroke of thegoods-carrier, substantially as described.

3. In a vending-machine, the combination, with the reciprocatablegoods-carrier, of the carrier-actuating lever connected at one end tosaid goods-carrier and normally free at the other end, a movable lock,substantially as described, located at the free end of said lever, thecoin-chute leading to said lock and coacting with the lock tohold thecoin forthe combination,

Ward of the lever when this is retracted, and a coin-releaser operatingthe lock to release the coin during the forward stroke of the lever,substantially as described.

4. In a vending-machine, the combination, with the reciprocatablegoods-carrier, of the carrier-actuatinglever connected at one end tosaid goods-carrier and normally free at the other end, said lever havingatits free end the detent-hook, and a movable lock constructed tosupport a coin forward of the lever when this is retracted and having adetent-arm en gaging said hook 011 the release of the coin,substantially as described.

5. In a vending-machine, the combination, with the goods-carrieractuating-lever having a detent-hook, of the rocking lock constructed atone end to hold a coin forward of the lever when this is retracted toengage said hook on the movement of the lock to release the coin,substantially as described.

6. In a vendingunachine, the combination, with the reciprocatablegoods-carrier, of the carrier-actuating lever connected at one end tosaid goods-carrier and normally free at the I other end, a lock,substantially as described, located at the free end of said lever andholding a coin forward of the lever when this is retracted, a rockercarrying said lock and having a detent-arm engagingthe lever on themovement of the lock to release the coin, a

cam-arm on said rocker, and aca-m-arm actuator connected with thegoods-carrier and set toactuate said arm to release the coin during theforward movement of the goods-carrier, substantially as described.

' 7. In a vending-machine, the combination, with the reciprocatablegoods-carrier, of the rod 25, connected to said carrier and having apin56, the lever 30, connected-to said rod and having a hook 51, themovable lock T,- supporting the coin and constructed to engage saidlever-hook on the release of the coin, and means actuating the lock fromsaid pin 56 to release the coin, substantially as described.

8. In avending-machine,the combination, with the lever 30, connected toactuate the goods-carrier and having the hook.51, oft-he coin-chuteabove-the free end of the lever, the lock T, having the slot4'7 belowsaid chute and having the coin-catch 48, said coin-chute and lockcoacting to support the coin forward of the lever when this isretracted, and a detent on the lock engaging said lever-hook on therelease of the coin, substantially as described. p

9. Ina vending-machine, the combination, with the reciprocatablegoods-carrier, of the spring retracting said carrier, the carriers,actuating lever connected at one end to said.

goods-carrier andnornially free at the other end, the pull-rod 34,connected to the lever intermediate of the length thereof, the springretracting said pull-rod and lever independently of the movement of thegoods-carrier, the rocker carrying the look below the free end of thelever, a spring normally holding the lock in position for retaining acoin forward of the free end of the lever when this is retracted, andmeans actuating the rocker from the goods-carrier to release the coin.

11. In a vending-machineflhe combination,

with the reciprocatable goods-carrier having the depending fingers, ofthe slotted fioor vertically adjustable, substantially as described, andthe guard-plates standing in the forward slots of saidfioor below thepath of said fingers, substantially as described.

12. In a vending-machine, the combination, with the reciprocatablegoods-carrier having the depending fingers on the walls of the,

goods-receiver, of the vertically-adjustable floor slotted,substantially as described, a screw parallel to the line of movement ofsaid floor, and a nut on said screw engaging the adjustable floor forelevating and lowering the same between said depending fingers,

substantially as described.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS. Witnesses:

HENRY L. REOKARD, I'I. M-ALLNER.

